West Michigan News

Cities, like people, make first impressions, long-lasting impressions on our visitors and others who are in the process of determining where they will live, establish businesses, and raise their families. That can be a good or a bad thing, but for Grand Rapids it’s very positive.

We’ve been making a great first impression because of our friendly and talented people, our strong values of hope, family and faith, and our commitment to sustainable growth and renewal. We are making national news for our forward-thinking investments and we are seen by others as a model city for our public-private partnerships and our green approach to the future.

The Grand Rapids Public School system now faces a massive job of upgrading its facilities to establish state-of-the-art learning environments for the 21st century.

The task is not that different from what private industry has had to do in the past 30 years. Not long ago, the near downtown area of Grand Rapids had many older factories which ultimately were replaced by modern manufacturing facilities. And numerous old buildings have either been replaced by new construction or converted to other uses such as loft housing, retail and offices.

Nine mobile murals symbolizing the past, present, and future of Grand Rapids' Southtown neighborhood were unveiled Tuesday, October 30 at a press conference followed by a walking tour of the new art installments. Lighthouse Communities commissioned the murals through the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts to get young people involved in the revitalization of the neighborhood.

"We've been working to re-brand the neighborhood as Southtown," says Dave Allen, executive director of Lighthouse Communities. "With the renewed energy and development we thought what a cool opportunity to bring some kids in."

Six mosaic sculptures created by the ArtWorks Summer Program of the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts (UICA) commemorate the heritage of Grandville Avenue and the Roosevelt Park Neighborhood (RPNA).

Since it was built in 1866 as one of the Federal Union schools that were established around the country at that time, the Old School House has seen a number of uses, most recently as a four-unit apartment building.

Now the Saugatuck-Douglas Historical Society is knee-deep in transforming the two-story structure into a place where residents can explore the area's history, investigate their family roots, and learn about the region's culture, ecology, and architecture through artifacts and photos.

The Grand Rapids Public Schools recently dedicated the new $15.8 million Gerald R. Ford Middle School at 851 Madison SE. The school replaces the former Madison Elementary, which was demolished in 2006.

The three-story, 86,000-square-foot school will have some 500 sixth, seventh, and eighth graders this year. Each grade will occupy one level.

There’s no room at the inn. And Ox-Bow School of Art and Artists’ Residency in Saugatuck aims to change that by adding 2,400 square feet of student housing and a 4,200-square-foot directors’/visiting artists’ residence.

A consortium of 21 laboratories across Michigan life sciences corridor are available to entrepreneurs to research, test, develop, and even package clinical products. The Core Technology Alliance (CTA), which is housed at the Van Andel Institute in downtown Grand Rapids, is making it easier for life sciences startups to make their product without building an expensive laboratory many can't afford.

An arena, a gymnasium, a health center, an aquatic center, indoor tennis and track, four full-sized basketball and volleyball courts, a fitness facility, new locker rooms, an athletic training room, a hospitality suite, a large lobby, concessions stands, and a climbing wall. These are just a few of the new facilities Calvin College students are looking forward to enjoying when the proposed $35 million Spoelhof Fieldhouse is completed in 2008.